Lake Travis is the largest of the Highland Lakes chain — a 64-mile-long reservoir on the Colorado River about 15 miles northwest of Austin. It is Austin's summer playground: boating, swimming, wakeboarding, cliff jumping, and lakeside dining all happen here at scale, and the lake draws enormous crowds from May through September.
The most popular stretch is around Hudson Bend and Volente on the north shore, where marinas, waterfront restaurants, and sandy beaches cluster. Hippie Hollow is a clothing-optional public park on the south shore, open to adults only, with rocky limestone swimming spots popular with the LGBTQ+ community and Austin's nudist contingent since the 1970s. Boat rentals are available at most marinas; day tripper boats visiting multiple lakeside restaurants are a popular Austin Sunday activity.